The LLM: do not underestimate the value of developing expertise

The master of laws degree occupies an unusual space in the topography of legal education. In a higher education sector which is strongly oriented towards providing routes to qualification as a solicitor or a barrister, the LLM can often be perceived as being the 'odd one out'. While an LLB, the Common Professional Examination, the Legal Practice Course and the Bar Professional Training Course all act as readily identifiable and necessary mile posts on the journey to a career as a legal professional, on the face of it the LLM offers no overt progression down that road.

Growing value

Some have questioned the value of an LLM qualification for those students of law who wish to enter the professions, arguing that the suitability of an individual based on academic performance will be evident from their performance at undergraduate level. The view has also been voiced that LLM qualifications are academic rather than vocational in nature and thus have only limited relevance to legal practice.

As the course leader of Nottingham Law School's LLM programmes, it may be predictable that I would seek to challenge these perceptions, but even taking account of any predisposition towards the Master's degree, there exists a compelling case for the existing and growing value of these programmes.

Competitive jobs market

Achieving an LLM qualification provides the opportunity to stand out from the crowd. In a competitive jobs market it offers a basis on which potential employer can discriminate between candidates who, on the basis of undergraduate performance, may all look broadly similar.

The LLM makes much greater demands of students than at undergraduate level; the depth and complexity of the legal issues they are required to handle is considerable. The LLM allows individuals to demonstrate their capacity for high-level learning far beyond that demanded by undergraduate studies.

LLM courses typically require students to take much greater responsibility for their learning. The routine and structure of undergraduate study is replaced by a significant onus on the student to develop in-depth understanding in the subject area and to play a leading role in driving and shaping the debate during class-based sessions. Success at Master's level demands that a student demonstrate a real commitment to and engagement with their subject matter and that they emerge as genuinely independent and autonomous learners; key skills for any accomplished professional.

Independence and autonomy

This independence and autonomy is also enshrined in the nature of student assessment. Master's level assessments require the development of a sophisticated and lengthy analysis of a complex area of law, with the expectation that students will evidence a strong appreciation of the context of and influences on their subject matter. The dissertation, the extended piece of individual research and writing which is traditionally the culmination of the LLM, offers a significant indicator that the student is capable of operating both independently, at an elevated level and with a significant degree of self-discipline and motivation.

Neither should we underestimate the value of developing expertise in a particular sector. I was greatly encouraged by a recent event I attended, where leading figures in the sports law sector expressed the view that gaining an LLM in the area was an important means by which prospective practitioners in the field can mark themselves out from the crowd, demonstrating their commitment to the sector. Equally, whenever I speak with law firms I am struck with how many are impressed by the specialist skills and knowledge of LLM graduates and of the importance placed upon the commitment and investment involved.

In short, though they may not be a requirement in the process of entering the legal profession, the LLM degree offers much; both to those beginning their careers - as a means by which to enhance their skills and specialist knowledge - and to potential employers, who can use the qualification as evidence of high-level understanding and abilities.

Simon Boyes is a Principal Lecturer and Course Leader of academic LLM programmes at Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University.

www.ntu.ac.uk/nls